Improvement in fare-box for railroad-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ROBERT H. LONG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOX FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,648, dated April 6,1869; antedatcd March ,22, 1869.

To all 'whom it may concern: c

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. LONG, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improved Fare-Box for Passenger Railway- Oars; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same.

My invention consists of a cylinder having an opening and a weightedarm, and arranged to turn in and being otherwise adapted to a box with aslotted top, all substantially as described hereafter, the whole forminga cheap and simple fare-box for passenger railwaycars.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will nowproceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification,and in which- Figure lis an en d view of my improved farebox forpassenger railway-cars; Figs. 2 and 3, transverse sections of the same,showing the movable parts in different positions; and Fig. 4, alongitudinal section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is a box, in the top of which is an elongated opening, a, a drawer, B,being fitted to the lower portion of the box.

A hollow horizontal cylinder, D, a portion of which is cut away at w,extends through and is arranged to turn freely in the opposite ends ofthe box, to which it is confined by rims b on the cylinder, and to eachend of the latter is itted a disk, c, of glass. To one of these rims bis secured at two points a forked rod, E, having at its outer end aweight, which .tends to maintain the cylinder D in the position shown inFigs. 2 and 4, in which position the open portion w of the cylinder isdirectly beneath the slot a n the top of the box.

My improved fare-box is intended to be applied to and to project throughthe forward end of a passenger railway-car, the drawer B being lockedand inaccessible to the driver,

who, however, has control of the weighted rod E.

When a fare has been dropped by a passen ger through the slot c into thecylinder, the driver, after having ascertained through the glass-plate eits correctness, raises the rod E, and thus causes the cylinder to turnuntil its opening is above the drawer B,the edges of which are beveled,so that they present no obstruction to the lodgment of the fare in thedrawer. The weighted rod E is suffered to fall to its original.position, thus again bringing the opening @c of the cylinder uppermostand ready for the reception of the next fare.

When the car has reached the end of its route the drawer can be unlockedand the amount therein withdrawn by an authorized officer.

It will be seen that the cylinder is at all times in a proper positionto receive a fare, excepting when the weighted rod E is in the hand ofthe driver. Even should the latter forget to depress the weighted rod,and this rod should for an instant retain its elevated position, theiirst slight movement of the car would cause it to fall.

I am aware that a wheel with radial partitions has been arranged torevolve in a farebox having a hopper at the top. This I do not claim;but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A hollowcylinder, D, having transparent ends and a single slot, fr, when thesaid cylinder is weighted, and arranged to turn in a box, A, having aslot, a, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiieation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBT. H. LONG.

Witnesses H. HowsoN, C. B. PRICE.

